The American Name Society has invited SSILA members to attend their keynote address:
2016 ANS Keynote speaker
Last year, on the 9th of January 2015 during the LSA’s annual business meeting in Portland, Oregon Portland, Oregon, a resolution was proposed and approved which called for “abandoning the use of Native American nicknames, logos, and mascots in sport, while respecting the right of individual tribal nations to decide how to protect and celebrate their respective tribal heritage.”. In February 2015, the resolution was sent to a LSA membership vote and was passed by 93.3% of the vote. For the full text to this momentous decision, please use this link.
This coming January, during the ANS annual meeting in Washington, D.C., our guest speaker will be the Executive Director of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), Ms. Jacqueline Pata. A member of the Raven/Sockeye Clan of the Tlingit Indians, in addition to her duties for the NCIA, Ms. Pata also serves on a variety of national executive boards for civil and human rights. The title of her presentation for the 2016 meeting of the American Name Society is “Reclaiming Identity: Indigenous Stereotypes and Misperceptions”. The subject of the speech will be the NCAI’s continuing efforts to ban racist and derogatory names which are sadly still used throughout North America for sporting events. The keynote speech has been scheduled for Saturday, the 9th of January 2016 from 1:30 to 2:30 pm in Salon 14 of the Marriott Marquis. Please spread the word about this important event!
Speaker Biography
Jacqueline Pata is the Executive Director of the National Congress of American Indians. She is a member of the Raven/Sockeye Clan of the Tlingit Indians and is the 6th Vice President for the Central Council of the Tlingit-Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. She serves on a variety of national executive boards, including as a Vice President for the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Board Member for the George Gustave Heye Center of the National Museum of the American Indian. She is also the Vice Chair of Sealaska Corporation, an Alaska Native regional corporation. In her commitment to American Indian youth development, Pata sits on the Native American Advisory Council for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Prior to joining NCAI in June 2001, Pata served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Native American Programs of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Background on the NCAI
The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) was established in 1944 in response to the termination and assimilation policies the US government forced upon tribal governments in contradiction of our treaty rights and status as sovereign nations. Our mission is to protect and enhance tribal treaty and sovereign rights; secure our traditional laws, cultures, and ways of life for our descendants; promote a common understanding of the rightful place of tribes in the family of American governments; and improve the quality of life for Native communities and peoples. NCAI exists today as the oldest and largest national tribal organization representing American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments.
Abstract
In 1968, the National Congress of American Indians launched a campaign to end negative and harmful stereotypes perpetuated by media and popular culture. These efforts have been rooted in an attempt to achieve social justice and racial equality for Native peoples. The continued use of racist and derogatory “Indian” sports mascots, logos, and symbols have perpetuated negative stereotypes of America’s first peoples. Rather than honoring Native peoples, these caricatures and stereotypes contribute to a disregard for their diverse cultural heritages and have been proven to affect the psychological stability of Native youth.